Jun 30 Conversation: Werner Herzog By Arts Desk In 1982 in the Peruvian jungle, Werner Herzog was making a film about an opera fanatic who would do anything to bring music to his remote city: Fitzcarraldo and his small crew face deadly river rapids, indigenous tribes with spears… Continue reading
Jun 22 Watch Author Examines Drug Trade, Afghan Insurgency Author and former ABC news producer Gretchen Peters talks about her book about the drug trade in Afghanistan and Pakistan and how it is fueling the insurgency. Continue watching
Jun 12 Conversation: Historian Simon Schama By Arts Desk Historian Simon Schama is well-known for his books and television documentaries on art and a wide range of other subjects. Continue reading
May 13 Conversation: Author Mark Kurlansky on ‘America Eats’ By Arts Desk Throughout the Depression, an ambitious New Deal project called "America Eats" employed secretaries and unemployed journalists, as well as literary luminaries -- Nelson Algren, Zora Neale Hurston and Eudora Welty -- to research and write about the nation's gastronomic traditions,… Continue reading
May 08 Conversation: Daniyal Mueenuddin By Arts Desk Daniyal Mueenuddin new book, "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders," comprises a series of linked stories that explore the lives of peasants and landowners in Pakistan's Punjab. Continue reading
May 01 Conversation: Arthur Phillips, Author of ‘The Song Is You’ By Arts Desk Arthur Phillips, author of "The Song Is You," made a name for himself with his very first novel, "Prague," which became a national bestseller. That was followed by "The Egyptologist" and "Angelica."… Continue reading
Apr 24 Conversation: Adina Hoffman, Author of the New Biography of Poet Taha Muhammad Ali By Arts Desk Several years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to travel through Israel and the West Bank to talk to Palestinian and Israeli poets. Among the remarkable writers I met there and the one who made the greatest impression on viewers… Continue reading
Jan 23 Conversation: Roberto Bolano’s ‘2666’ By Arts Desk For most of the English-speaking world and certainly for this reader, Roberto Bolano was unknown only a few years ago. Since then, he's become a literary phenomenon--his novels read, reviewed, discussed, widely praised. Continue reading
Dec 31 Conversation: Peter Matthiessen By Arts Desk Peter Matthiessen, a 2008 National Book Award winner, is best known as both a novelist and non-fiction writer, but he's also an environmental activist, American Indian rights advocate and former C.I.A. recruit. Continue reading
Apr 29 Watch Novelist Junot Diaz Weaves Cultures and Languages By Jeffrey Brown From the 'Fuku' of the Dominican Republic to Klingon from Star Trek, the world of author Junot Diaz is a vibrant mix of cultures and languages. He discusses his influences and winning the Pulitzer Prize earlier this month for his… Continue watching